Salute To Mr Werner Klemperer
by Basketballgirl Kaitlin
Summary: A fan letter I wrote to Mr. Klemperer. Though no longer with us, I hope he is able to read this from Heaven where he is now. His memory and loving spirit will live on forever, and this is my salute to him. :)


**A/N:** Hi yah, folks. Okay. So this isn't really a story. (The new one is coming soon, though! Sunday or Monday I'll post the first chapter.) I started working on this after spring break ended this year and wanted to place this somewhere public where it could be shared and read by others. (Hopefully some of you are friends/family/or of some relation to Mr. Klemperer. I want them to know how much he means to me in my life.) I wanted to do something nice in honor and memory of him, so I decided to write this 'fan letter' to him. This is for you, Mr. Klemperer. I love you to the moon and back again! Lots of hugs and kisses.

* * *

April 9, 2017

Hi, Mr. Klemperer!

I haven't known of your existence for a long period of time, so I apologize first off for not knowing more of your work. I'm only 20 years old while writing this, so go easy on me here. I first discovered you about two and a half years ago when I watched the first episode of _'Hogan's Heroes'_ on YouTube (a video watching website that's been around since...2005 I believe?) It was recommended to me by one of my friends I met through another fandom, _'Star Trek'_ a year before that. Hearing it took place during World War II sparked my interest even more, considering I'm a huge history fanatic. (World War II being my favorite topic!)

After watching a few episodes, I was hooked! It was so funny and so damn well written (pardon my French, as they say), I couldn't bare parting from it. What first got me was that Richard Dawson acted on the show. Let me say first hand that I love this man! I watched him on reruns of _'Family Feud'_ on GSN everyday during the summer in middle school. When I saw that he had a part on the show playing the funny and clever con artist, Corporal Peter Newkirk, it was instant bonus points for my liking towards the show! I continued watching more episodes and more seasons and eventually fell for Dawson, the beloved Colonel Robert Hogan (Bob Crane), and finally you, Mr. Kommandant Wilhelm Klink. Kommandant Klink by far is my favorite German throughout the entire show. Well, besides Major Hochstetter. By how chaotic and angry that man is, how can you not laugh at him? Just as funny as Sergeant Schultz is.

Back to my point! I love how naive and funny Klink is. The way he falls right into Hogan's traps every time and how he puffs his chest in pride after every compliment he receives is just too hysterical! You and his character make me laugh every time I watch an episode over and over again. The jokes and acting never gets old to me! You certainly made Kommandant Klink one lovable character and one that holds a great part of me internally. To be honest, the show wouldn't be the same without you or your character in it. I don't think anyone else could have pulled off being Klink other than you. You made him really come to life and like he was an actual person. Now _that's_ good acting! Anyone who disagrees clearly didn't do their research. It's basically scientifically proven that only you could do the part of Klink...okay, maybe that's an overstatement, but I'm pretty sure it's still a fact. The point still remains you killed it as my beloved, bumbling, cowardly German colonel.

Now, you're probably up there in Heaven asking yourself: 'Why on earth is this 20 year old college girl writing this letter to me?' First off, you ask an excellent question, as even part of myself doesn't know why I'm writing this. Another part of me says I need to write this in order for you to know how much I love you, your personality, and work. Finally, there's the third part of me. The part of me that _wants_ to write this to you. I don't know if you can read this or not from where you are, but I hope you can. I want you to know about this letter and what it says within it. More than a fan letter and simple celebrity praise, but less than a professional elocution in your honor. (Let's be honest, here; I'm nowhere _near_ that good of a writer yet. That's why I'm spending about $14,000 a year to attend college. Talk about being broke!) Not so much as praise, but letting you know that you inspire me and hold a very special place in my life. That's what I want you to keep in mind as you read this letter.

I'll start with your earlier years before _'Hogan's Heroes'_ even existed or became an idea to TV and sitcom writers. First of all, you lived during World War II, which, my God, high props to you! I've read several things about World War II over the years and what happened particularly in Germany, and I wouldn't have been able to survive such a historical event. Hitler scares the absolute crap out of me! The fact that you managed to escape out of your homeland and were able to make a new living here in the USA just shows how much determination and courage you had as a person. I have mad respect and admiration towards people with courage; especially when I'm still working on my own. World War II was a horrifying, awful, and tragic historical time period that will never be forgotten. Knowing you were one of the many who survived through it is awe striking to me. Again, I could not have done what you did. I would have been too scared to do anything about it. What you did is more than inspirational to me. Everyone in World War II who did what you did or fought in combat is well respected and honored in my eyes. You guys are the real superheroes in life. (Even though Batman-Adam West is pretty cool. Sorry, Batman). I honor you and always will for what you faced and how you managed to conquer it. Your story is truly inspiring to me and many others out there in the world.

Speaking more about inspiration, I'll transition into your musical career. I, too, am a lover of music, so if I start geeking out over chords and rhythm patterns, forgive me. Unless you like it, then it's another story. I never played an orchestral instrument to begin with. I always liked drums and singing, and started band in fifth grade. I played in band, marching band, and Italian dinners at my high school for over twelve years, then I decided to part ways with my band career and move on to singing and choir, which I currently do and love. I have, however, seen many orchestral concerts growing up and met people who play the instruments. I'm still amazed at how people, including yourself, can play a violin or viola. How do you remember which note is where? How do you know when it's tuned properly? Questions like that constantly run through my mind every time I think about it. I know that your dad was a famous conductor and that you were a talented violin player throughout your life! I'll have to warn you I fangirl anyone who has a musical background or connection to music, so you can only imagine what I think of Mr. Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin. Shocking, I know. A girl my age who likes oldies over her era of music! I wish I could find a recording or video of you somewhere of your violin playing, but I'm just going to assume after everything I've read about you that you were magnificent! Did you always love music since being a little kid, or did it grow on you over time? I'll have to ask you that someday.

I know music made you very happy, and I'm glad that you found joy in it. I find it a very important part of life and everyone should have music associated with them somehow. If I'm right, you also did a little bit of singing, too. Whether you were a tenor or bass is beyond my knowledge, but I think you were a terrific singer in my eyes. (Yes, I just threw in some musical lexicon. Look at me with my lingo!) I did find a video of you singing, and I love the sound of your voice. It's melodic, soothing, and pretty. I would love to hear more of your singing or any of your violin playing someday if I'm lucky enough to somehow. Your love for music and fine arts has only strengthen the love of mine for it. People said that they could see it in your eyes on how much you loved your music, and I can feel that as well while writing this. Every time I sing, listen to, or play music until the day I die, you and the many other musical geniuses I love will be in my mind at each of those moments and remember how you have made my love for music be a strong, iron chain that will never break. (Wait, can iron break?...I'll check back in with you on that. But I'll love music for the rest of my life without a doubt!)

Alright, now that I've gone on and on about music for about fifteen minutes, I finally move on to you and your persona of Colonel Wilhelm Klink of Stalag 13. As I mentioned before, you brought the character of Colonel Klink to life, and bringing characters to life is something very difficult to accomplish and achieve in acting. In a way, you're like the great Sean Connery playing as the world wide known James Bond/007. He really brought the British spy to life like he was an actual person in reality. Okay, Klink didn't kill anybody or save the world from dictatorship and manipulation from other villains across the globe, but the comparison is still true. To be honest, I wish Klink would have been an actual person. Getting to meet him in real life would have been a dream come true. (For me, that is. I don't what other people got going on in their minds.) Since he's not, unfortunately, I'll just tell you what I like about him and your acting.

To get the ball rolling, let me just say I absolutely _love_ your acting! You had such a talent and gift for acting, I can't even find a place to start and describe it. Not many people get such a talent in their life, but most of the actors on _'Hogan's Heroes'_ , including yourself, were blessed with such gifts. Now me, at the moment, I'm still trying to find what I'm most talented at: singing, writing, spitting out random facts of knowledge, speaking a foreign language, I'm not quite sure what it is yet. I have to do a little more exploring before deciding on what it is. Yours was music and acting. Something about you on a television screen just sparks magic in everyone who watches and laughs along with you and your many adventures as a babbling German colonel in the Luftwaffe. I can't put it anyway else, so just trust me when I say you're an awesome actor and certainly had a niche for what you did for a profession!

Moving on to Klink. First off, he makes me laugh to tears. He had some of the best one liners and plot lines in the entire series. One of my favorite scenes with Klink is when he's in Paris after getting his car stolen. After he leaves their hotel room and Schultz says he thinks Klink looks beautiful in his uniform, he comes back, shakes his fist in the air, and yells 'SCHULTZ!' I swear I laugh until I can't breathe at that scene. It's written so well, it you act it out beyond amazingly! I can't picture anyone else doing that scene other than you. It just wouldn't have the same effect in my eyes. You did your job so well that you practically made Klink yours. He's your character and no one else's. When people say 'Colonel Klink' or bring up _'Hogan's Heroes'_ , they instantly see you in their minds with your monocle in the left eye and shaking your fist in the air while screaming Hogan's name in fury. You are forever engraved into the minds of all _'Hogan's Heroes'_ fans for the rest of eternity and will never fade.

Another thing I love about Klink is his personality. He may be a bit egotistical and a little pompous sometimes, but he was a good guy at the end of it all. He was comedic, melodramatic, ridiculous, and naive. I can relate to the naive and melodramatic, but the comedic part is completely foreign to me. I'm better off learning how to be a Chinese translator than becoming a comedian. (No, like really; my 'knock-knock' jokes are awful!) I don't think I've ever seen an episode where Klink wasn't exaggerated and ranting about something in particular whether ranging from one of Hogan's schemes or General Burkhalter coming for a visit. Lots of times people would think it's a bit much for a TV show, but you executed your craft like no other. Not only do you make Klink believable, but you make him enjoyable to watch every time he came onto the screen and did his part in that scene. And when I get to write you in my _'Hogan's Heroes' _ stories, (yes, I write HH fanfics for a hobby) I always enjoy really getting into Klink's mind and bringing him to life in my own works. He's such a fun character to write and get to know. I always keep you in mind, though, when writing Klink. I want him to sound and act as much as you would have made him done so in an episode or if my story became an episode somehow. (My God, how cool would that be? 'Hey, what's up? Kaitlin, _'Hogan's Heroes'_ screenwriter.' Hehehe) Sorry, that went to my head for a minute. As I was saying; you are a big impact on my HH writing and constantly think to myself whenever a scene with Klink comes up 'How would Mr. Klemperer do this section as Klink?' If it doesn't sound right or exactly like you, I scrap the whole thing and redo it all over again. Keeping Klink sounding exactly how he is in the show and exactly how you made him out to be is a major influence in my writing. It _has_ to sound like you (Klink) in my mind, or it's simply not good enough.

Now, I finally come to the lovey-dovey stuff. The part of this letter where I hope I don't start crying while writing it. I might, though, so excuse me for my sensitive self and possible sobbing. I am a huge cancer activist, so when I found out you died from cancer, it hit me like a punch to the gut. Two other actors I love and my great grandma were all victims of the illness and were taken far too cruelly. You don't know how much I would love to send you a fan letter and get an autograph back from you. To tell you how much I love music, Kommandant Klink, and you in general. I never even got a chance to know about you while you were still alive, and that makes my heart break each time I think about. Is it dumb to cry, because I'm on the verge of tears writing this to you. I know you've been gone for like...17 years, and that's about four years younger than me, but it still makes me sad to know such a wonderful soul like yours is gone from this earth. You inspire me, Mr. Klemperer. In music, writing, and life in general. When the going got tough, you kept going. You never quit and gave up. I want the same qualities to add to my personality. I want to be as great of a person as you were. And I mean it when I say that to people. I don't just hand that out willy nilly. You truly are an inspiration and a hero to me.

I'm so proud of you, Mr. Klemperer. I will love you and defend you with all my heart until the day I die. Every time I sing, listen to music, or write a story, I'll think of you and your many talents in acting and music. When I get frustrated, scared, or feel like I'm about to give up, I'll remember your determination and bravery to keep going and cross the finish line. I love you so much, Mr. Klemperer, and I pray that you are able to see this somehow from where you now live in Heaven. To my one of many favorite actors, musicians, inspirations, and my hero.

Sending you lots of hugs and love from little me down here on earth. I'll give you a real one in about 70 years. I promise.

Lots of love,

Kaitlin :)


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